Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 3 December 1999

Scottish Executive

Caledonian MacBrayne

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was advised that Sea Containers Limited, or one of its subsidiaries, had sold the former Caledonian MacBrayne vessel Claymore; when this matter was last discussed with representatives of (a) the Scotland Office, (b) Her Majesty's Government, (c) the National Audit Office and (d) Caledonian MacBrayne, and what action it is now taking on this matter.

Sarah Boyack: Under the previous administration, CalMac were directed to sell the Claymore to Sea Containers in order to facilitate the operation of the Campbeltown-Ballycastle ferry service. The Scottish Executive first became aware of the sale of the Claymore through the article in The Herald dated 17 November. This matter has not been discussed with any of the parties mentioned; ownership arrangements for the vessel are a matter for Sea Containers Ltd or its subsidiaries.

Community Care

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the additional cost to local authorities in Scotland will be if the Department of Trade and Industry’s proposals to charge Value Added Tax on services provided by home care workers are implemented.

Iain Gray: As local authorities are able to recover any value added tax that they are charged we would not expect them to incur significant additional costs.

Concordats

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when and where the first meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee and the Overseas Promotion Committee being set up under the Concordat arrangements will take place, who will be in attendance, and what subject matters are on their respective agendas.

Donald Dewar: The Joint Ministerial Committee will contribute to good communication between the Scottish Executive, the cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the UK Government. It will meet in a number of guises, but most of its business will be conducted by correspondence.

  The Committee on Overseas Promotion’s principal aim is to prevent wasteful duplication of inward investment activity by its members and to ensure that the activities of individual bodies are complementary and contribute to the overall UK effort. All of the Inward Investment Agencies in the UK, including Locate in Scotland, are members.

  Three or four meetings are held each year. No date has yet been set for the next meeting.

Concordats

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what sections of the concordats between itself and Her Majesty's Government result in the day-to-day responsibility for devolved matters resting with UK Departments.

Donald Dewar: Responsibility for all devolved matters rests with the Scottish Executive. The development of bilateral concordats with Whitehall departments has not changed this position.

Consultation Documents

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any guidelines which instruct or encourage its departments or other agencies when issuing consultation documents to include community councils on their list of consultees.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive follows clear best practice guidelines on conducting consultation exercises. Consultees will vary according to the subject matter and decisions on consultation lists are therefore taken on a case-by-case basis.

  In addition, details of extant consultation papers can be found on the Executive’s web site at www.scotland.gov.uk and they are easily available to anyone who requests them.

Culture

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between Scottish Opera and the Executive since 1 July 1999.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Scottish Executive officials met Scottish Opera representatives on 22 October and 26 October.

Education

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending the support offered by the New Opportunities Fund for after school care by extending the period of funding available and allowing existing groups to apply for funding.

Peter Peacock: Policy directions to the New Opportunities Fund were issued in August 1998 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport after consultation with interested colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the Fund’s Board.

  These directions specified that grants for projects under the childcare strand of the Fund’s out of school hours activities initiative could be made up until 2003. In order that the Fund can meet the targets set out in the policy directions for numbers of children benefiting from places, funding for the large majority of projects will be for one year only. This might be extended for up to three years in certain circumstances. Nothing in the policy directions prevents existing childcare providers receiving funding, although this should be for new rather than existing childcare places.

  There are no present plans to amend or add to the policy directions to the Fund in relation to childcare.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty’s Government about the need to provide year round salvage tug cover for Scottish coastal waters, including a tug stationed in Orkney and Shetland.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty’s Government on a wide range of issues including matters relating to maritime safety and the marine environment.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the Scottish budget as a share of Scottish GDP in each year for which figures are available.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the total Scottish Budget as a % of Scottish GDP and projected Scottish GDP.

  


1994-95 
  


1995-96 
  


1996-97 
  


1997-98 
  


1998-99 
  


1999-2000 
  


2000-01 
  


2001-02 
  




24.1 
  

23.2 
  

23.1 
  

21.9 
  

21.8 
  

22.4 
  

22.0 
  

21.7

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total discounted cost of each PFI project in which the Scottish Executive is involved; what is the equivalent full project cost without the use of a discount rate; what is the current discount rate used in the appraisal of each PFI project in which the Scottish Executive is involved to date, and what scope it has for altering the required discount rate for the calculation of the discounted costs and benefits of PFI projects.

Mr Jack McConnell: The estimated total discounted and undiscounted costs in real terms, of the PFI projects in which the Scottish Executive is directly involved is as follows:

  


Project 


Total Discounted 
  Cost (NPV) 


Discount Rate 
  (Real) 


Total Undiscounted 
  Cost 




Skye Bridge 
  

£28 million 
  

6% 
  

£83 million 
  



M6 DBFO#


£214 million 
  

6% 
  

£728 million 
  



Kilmarnock Prison 
  

£130 million 
  

6% 
  

£400 million 
  



  # Scottish section only.

  For other projects, the information is available in full business cases. These are already published in the health sector and, in line with my statement in the Scottish Parliament in June, will be published in future for all Government public-private partnership projects in Scotland.

  The current discount rate used in the appraisal of PFI projects in which the Scottish Executive is directly involved is 6% (real). Given close ties between the Scottish and UK economies I see no need for a different approach at the current time.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish full details of financial appraisal and public sector comparison information for each PFI project which has been agreed to date and, if not, why not.

Mr Jack McConnell: On 24 June this year I announced that the practice of making Full Business Cases publicly available would be extended to all central Government public/private partnerships agreed from that date. Prior to this, Full Business Cases for a number of health projects had been made available.

Fisheries

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of further outbreaks of infectious salmon anaemia and identification of the virus in wild fish, it will look at the implications of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation Treaty (Oslo resolution 1994) and set up an independent regulatory body for the industry as recommended in the Scottish Salmon Strategy published by Scottish Office in 1997.

Mr John Home Robertson: We have no plans to set up such a body. A number of bodies have statutory responsibility for various aspects relating to fish farming. These arrangements are kept under review in the light of the obligations under the Treaty referred to and other obligations.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS beds are currently "blocked" in Scotland.

Iain Gray: A pilot exercise involving local authorities and health boards was announced in April, based on a national definition that a delay has occurred where two days have passed after the clinician has agreed that a transfer is appropriate.

  On the basis of information currently available for 13 of the 15 health board areas, in the 35,524* average available staffed beds in Scotland, there are 2,015 patients whose discharge has been delayed by more than the two days referred to in the pilot definition.

  Guidance has issued on the need to ensure that plans are in place locally to deal with peaks in demand for services and care throughout the year and over holiday periods in particular. All agencies are continuing to work together to keep the numbers and duration of delays to an absolute minimum.

  (* Source ISD Scotland, 1998-99 provisional figures - excluding joint user and contractual beds)

Health

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why some health boards will not permit the drug Riluzole to be prescribed and whether it is satisfied that sufficient research has been carried out to ensure its effectiveness.

Susan Deacon: It is for each Health Board to determine its prescribing policy on medicines, including Riluzole, taking into account the advice provided by their Drug and Therapeutic Committee.

  In 1996, Riluzole was granted a Marketing Authorisation valid for the European Union on the basis of the dossier submitted to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA). The European Committee of Proprietary Medicinal Products satisfied itself of the quality, safety and efficacy of Riluzole before recommending the granting of the Marketing Authorisation. Treatment with Riluzole should only be initiated by specialist physicians with experience in the management of motor neurone diseases. The European Public Assessment Report for Riluzole can be found on the EMEA web site at http://www.euda.org/emea/html.

Housing

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to tackle the problems of neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

Ms Wendy Alexander: A paper entitled Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour – The Way Ahead is today being placed in the Scottish Parliament Document Supply Centre. This sets out the Executive’s proposals for legislative and non-legislative action to tackle anti-social behaviour by neighbours.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a Civil Justice Forum along similar lines to the existing Criminal Justice Forum.

Mr Jim Wallace: When I gave evidence to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee I said "We need a comprehensive and principled approach to the problems of civil justice. Our policy should not be piecemeal. I am, therefore, considering how our policy can be more co-ordinated and responsive. To do so, I will have discussions with all the key interests about developing a strategy for civil justice.".

  These discussions will be able to cover issues such as a civil justice forum.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what implications there are arising from the judgement on temporary sheriffs for (a) adjourned trials and (b) continued civil cases, and whether it will list the current numbers in each category.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are currently 41 part-heard trials before temporary Sheriffs and 36 continued civil cases. Procurators fiscal will invite temporary Sheriffs to discharge diets and fix a date for a permanent Sheriff to hear the criminal cases. With regard to civil cases temporary Sheriffs will seek the agreement of parties as to whether they should continue to hear each case.

Local Government

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities include the income of partners when assessing the level of payment charged for domicilary care and whether, in its opinion, the practice of assessing the carer’s income for this purpose is legal.

Iain Gray: The information is not held centrally. As set out in our guidance to local authorities, only the person receiving the services may be charged. However, authorities may consider whether a client has sufficient reliable access to resources other than his or her own. Instances of this nature may arise in relation to married or unmarried couples. It is for authorities to consider each case in the light of their own legal advice.

Police

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase air support and surveillance resources for Scotland’s police forces.

Mr Jim Wallace: Air support and surveillance are operational issues and therefore matters for Chief Constables. The Scottish Executive does not provide resources specifically for air support or surveillance.

Police

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates the impact will be of a 2.4% increase in funding net of non-domestic rates on front line police services in Strathclyde in financial year 2000-01.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2000-01, which includes the Police Grant Aided Expenditure will be announced shortly. Police GAE is not hypothecated and it is for individual authorities and joint boards to determine their expenditure plans.

Rural Affairs

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to introduce legislation to prohibit fur farming in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: A Bill to prohibit fur farming in England and Wales was published on 23 November. There are currently no fur farms in Scotland. Nevertheless, I propose to bring forward a Bill in the Scottish Parliament to prevent any existing fur farming businesses in England and Wales relocating to Scotland, and to prevent any such business being established in Scotland in any other circumstances. Details of the Bill will be published in due course.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which budget and under which budget heading any contribution it is making to the rescue package on offer to Hampden Football Stadium is being made, and whether new money has been found for this purpose.

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any contribution to the rescue package on offer to Hampden Football Stadium from  sportscotland will come from its existing budget or from new money.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive’s contribution, as was our original contribution, will be channelled through  sportscotland and is additional to existing provision.  Sportscotland’s contribution will come from the Lottery Sports Fund through savings achieved in United Kingdom Sports Institute start up costs.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the findings of the M74 "complete to compete" group and, if not, why not.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive’s assessment of the M74 Northern Extension is set out in the report on the Strategic Roads Review which was published and made available to Members on 4 November.

Voluntary Organisations

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it endorses the statement by the Minister of State at the Scotland Office (House of Commons Official Report 9 November 1999, col.868) that "there is no particular shortage of money for voluntary and community organisations".

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive recognises that funding is a key issue for voluntary organisations and is developing a more strategic approach to its own funding of the sector. The Executive has a commitment to work with other funders to create a more stable funding environment for the sector at both national and local level, for instance through three year funding. The Scottish Compact commits the Scottish Executive to best practice in funding, monitoring publicly-funded work, and to targeting resources effectively in a way which takes account of need. As part of the implementation of the Scottish Compact, good practice guidance on funding has been drafted and this is presently out for consultation.